Liquid laccase production by Phomopsis liquidambari B3 accelerated phenolic acids degradation in long-term cropping soil of peanut

The accumulation of phenolic acids in soil is one of the main problems associated with continuous cropping of peanut. Although laccases secreted by fungi can efficiently transform phenolic acids, there are few reports on the use of these enzymes to bioremediate continuous cropping soil. Food waste and wheat straw are waste products; however, they could be used productively as resources for laccase production by the endophytic fungus Phomopsis liquidambari B3. We cultured Phomopsis liquidambari B3 in medium containing food waste as the main nitrogen source and wheat straw as the main carbon source. In order to study the effects of fermentation liquid on phenolic acid degradation, rhizosphere soil microbial communities and peanut seedling growth, the fermentation product, which had high laccase activity, was added to continuously cropped soil of peanut. The concentration of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, vanillic acid, and coumaric acid in soil had decreased by 57.4, 52.5, and 49.4%, respectively, compared with no-treatment control during 28 days. Analysis of denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis profiles showed that the bacterial and fungal community structures in rhizosphere soil were affected by changes in the phenolic acids concentration. The biomass of peanut plants and the number of root nodules were increased 68.3% and 5.9-fold, respectively. These results showed that the laccase product reduced the accumulation of phenolic acids in soil, the decrease in phenolic acids concentration and the increase in certain dominant microorganisms promoted peanut seedling growth and nodulation. This technology provides a new strategy for bioremediation of continuous cropping soil, while simultaneously reducing waste and protecting the environment.     

Hydrological effects on the diversity of phenolic degrading bacteria in a peatland: implications for carbon cycling

Northern peatlands store ca. 1/3 of the world's soil organic carbon and this is attributed to low decomposition rates as a result of waterlogged, anaerobic conditions and high levels of phenolic substances. Climate change models predict both an increase in summer droughts and increased rainfall, depending on region, but information on the effect of these changes on the microbial population that mediate phenolic degradation is sparse. Temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TTGGE) was therefore used to assess the effect of simulated summer drought and increased rainfall on the diversity of phenolic degrading bacteria in a northern peatland using the gene XylE, encoding for the enzyme Catechol 2,3-dioxygenase (C23O), as an indicator. Under simulated drought, a greater diversity (129.4%, P<0.05) and abundance of phenolic catabolising bacterial species was found. Concurrent increased total phenol oxidase activities (83.3%) and β-glucosidase activities (157.6%, P<0.01) were found with consistently lower concentrations of phenolic compounds, DOC and increased CO₂ fluxes. This increased mineralisation is likely to lower carbon storage capacity and increase climate forcing. Conversely, the increased rainfall simulation suppressed diversity (62.2%, P<0.05), abundance and phenol oxidase activities (103.3%, P<0.001), giving increased phenolic compound (424.8%, P<0.1 only) and DOC concentrations (201.3%, P<0.001), along with increased anaerobic trace gas fluxes. These hugely increased aquatic carbon concentrations available for export are of serious concern due to their deleterious effect on drinking water quality.     

Secondary compounds can reduce the soil micro-arthropod effect on lichen decomposition

Phenolic compounds have been shown in several studies to have important ‘carryover effects’ on litter decomposition, microbial nutrient immobilization and nutrient availability. These effects arise in part because of the adverse effect they have on the feeding activities of litter-feeding invertebrates such as micro-arthropods that drive decomposition processes. However, the interactive effects of phenolic compounds and soil micro-arthropods on litter decomposition are poorly understood. Phenolic compounds can easily be removed by acetone rinsing from living lichens, allowing us to specifically test the role that phenolic compounds (and their removal) have in controlling the effects of micro-arthropods on the decomposition of their litter. We performed a litter-bag experiment aimed at exploring how lichen litter mass loss and nutrient release during decomposition was affected by phenolics (by using acetone rinsed and non-rinsed lichen material) and micro-arthropod activity (by using different mesh sizes to allow or exclude entry by micro-arthropods) for each of six contrasting lichen species (Cladonia rangiferina, Cladonia stellaris, Evernia prunastri, Hypogymnia physodes, Pseudevernia furfuracea and Usnea dasypoga). Both the removal of phenolic compounds and the presence of micro-arthropods accelerated mass and nutrient release overall, but not for either of the two Cladonia species. Removal of phenolics also had an overall positive effect on the effects of arthropods on the loss of P, but not mass and N, from the decomposing lichens. Further, for U. dasypoga, but not the other species, natural levels of phenolic compounds deterred micro-arthropods from accelerating mass loss, and the removal of these compounds enabled micro-arthropods to enhance its decomposition. Our findings that lichen phenolic compounds can sometimes interact with micro-arthropods to influence lichen litter mass loss and nutrient release during decomposition assists our understanding of how lichens and their consumers may impact on organic matter dynamics, biochemical nutrient cycling and other related ecosystem processes.     

Microbial community utilization of added carbon substrates in response to long-term carbon input manipulation

The chemical composition and quantity of plant inputs to soil are primary factors controlling the size and structure of the soil microbial community. Little is known about how changes in the composition of the soil microbial community affect decomposition rates and other ecosystem functions. This study examined the degradation of universally ¹³C-labeled glucose, glutamate, oxalate, and phenol in soil from an old-growth Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)—western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) forest in the Oregon Cascades that has experienced 7 y of chronic C input manipulation. The soils used in this experiment were part of a larger Detritus Input and Removal Treatment experiment and have received normal C inputs (control), doubled wood inputs, or root and litter input exclusion (no inputs). Soil from the doubled wood treatment had a higher fungal:bacterial ratio, and soil from the no inputs treatment had a lower fungal:bacterial ratio, than the control soil. Differences in the utilization of the compounds added to the field-manipulated soils were assessed by following the ¹³C tracer into microbial biomass and respiration. In addition, ¹³C-phospholipid fatty acids (PLFA) analysis was used to examine differential microbial utilization of the added substrates. Glucose and glutamate were metabolized similarly in soils of all three litter treatments. In contrast, the microbial community in the double wood soil respired more added phenol and oxalate, whereas microbes in the no inputs soil respired less added phenol and oxalate, than the control soil. Phenol was incorporated primarily into fungal PLFA, especially in soil of the double wood treatment. The addition of all four substrates led to enhanced degradation of soil organic matter (priming) in soils of all three litter treatments, and was greater following the addition of phenol and oxalate as compared to glucose and glutamate. Priming was greater in the no inputs soil as compared to the control or doubled wood soils. These results demonstrate that altering plant inputs to soil can lead to changes in microbial utilization of C compounds. It appears that many of these changes are the result of alteration in the size and composition of the microbial community.     

Soil phenolics in a continuously mono‐cropped cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) system and their effects on cucumber seedling growth and soil microbial communities

Phenolic compounds have been implicated as autotoxins of cucumber under mono‐cropping management systems. Inhibition of cucumber growth may result from direct uptake of phenolic compounds or an indirect effect resulting from changes in soil microflora. In the present study we monitored the dynamics of soil phenolics in a continuously mono‐cropped cucumber system and then assessed the effects of these compounds on soil microbial communities. Six phenolic compounds were identified in all soil samples in the continuously mono‐cropping system. Soil total phenolic content increased extensively in the first cropping, but maintained a relatively stable level in the following croppings. Amendments of phenolics at the concentration detected in the soil showed inhibitory effects on cucumber seedling growth and stimulatory effects on soil dehydrogenase activity, soil microbial biomass carbon content and soil bacteria and fungi community sizes. Amendments of phenolics caused shifts in soil microbial community structures and soil bacteria and fungi communities had different responses. Our results suggested that direct phytotoxic effects of phenolics on cucumber probably did not happen in continuous mono‐cropping systems, but they might indirectly influence cucumber performance by changing soil microbial communities.     

Inhibition of colonization by a native arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal community via Populus trichocarpa litter,litter extract,and soluble phenolic compounds

Controls on the colonization and abundance of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) in ecosystems are little understood and may be related to host factors, the fungal community, and soil physio-chemical properties; and changes in these variables during soil development may affect succession between mycorrhizal groups. Here we investigated the effects of litter, litter leachates, and common soluble phenolic compounds on AMF colonization of roots. In previous studies, we observed a negative correlation between increases in black cottonwood (Populus trichocarpa) litter and AMF abundance and inoculum potential along a riparian chronosequence in northwest Montana. From this, we hypothesized that litter inputs negatively affect the native AMF community and may contribute to the shift between AMF and ectomycorrhizas. We tested the effects of cottonwood foliage and litter extract additions on the colonization of AMF of both cottonwood and Sudan grass (Sorghum sudanese) seedlings. Addition of 5% (v/v) dried cottonwood leaves completely inhibited AMF colonization of S. sudanese. AMF colonization of S. sudanese was significantly reduced by litter extract of P. trichocarpa foliage, and colonization was negatively correlated with litter extract concentrations. Additions of aqueous litter extract significantly reduced AMF colonization of cottonwood seedlings as well. The effect of the litter extract on AMF colonization of S. sudanese did not appear to be mediated by changes in soil pH or plant biomass. Available phosphorus was higher in soil receiving highest concentration of litter extract, but not at a level expected to be inhibitory to AMF colonization. Litter additions significantly increased total soil phenolics, but with a range similar to natural soils of the Nyack floodplain. We tested pure soluble phenolic compounds common to Populus for their effect on AMF colonization by native fungi from the Nyack floodplain. All tested compounds significantly reduced AMF colonization but did not affect colonization by non-AMF root-colonizing fungi. This suggests secondary compounds present in cottonwood litter can affect colonization ability of a native AMF community. The potential mechanisms of inhibition and the relevance of these findings to AMF succession within both a single host and soil are discussed.     

紫茎泽兰叶片凋落物对入侵地4 种草本植物的化感作用

为了明确紫茎泽兰叶片凋落物对入侵地草本植物的化感作用, 研究了不同浓度紫茎泽兰叶片凋落物水提液对入侵地草本植物多年生黑麦草、白三叶、辣子草和紫花苜蓿种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响, 同时结合土培试验研究了叶片凋落物在入侵地土壤中的化感作用。结果表明, 除多年生黑麦草外, 水提液对其他3 种草本植物种子萌发均产生了显著的化感抑制作用, 且水提液的浓度越高抑制效果越强; 低浓度水提液对紫花苜蓿和辣子草的幼苗生长存在显著化感促进作用, 高浓度的水提液对除多年生黑麦草外的其他3 种植物幼苗的生长存在显著化感抑制作用, 水提液对多年生黑麦草幼苗生长的影响不显著; 土壤中按照50 g·kg^-1的比例添加叶片凋落物后, 显著抑制了白三叶的生长, 而添加活性炭后, 白三叶的单株生物量相对于未添加活性炭的处理增加71.25%, 进一步证实叶片凋落物在土壤中的化感抑制作用。这说明外来入侵植物紫茎泽兰可能通过其叶片凋落物在入侵地土壤中降解, 释放化感物质, 抑制伴生植物的种子萌发和幼苗生长, 为自身创造有利的生长环境, 实现其成功入侵和扩张。     

Effects of the ecological restoration practices of prescribed burning and mechanical thinning on soil microbial enzyme activities and leaf litter decomposition

The effects of ecological restoration on belowground processes such as decomposition are generally unknown. To assess the immediate effects of prescribed fire and mechanical thinning on belowground processes, we measured the activities of five extracellular enzymes (phosphatase, β-glucosidase, β-N-acetylglucosaminidase, phenol oxidase, and lignin-peroxidase) in soils and on decomposing Quercus falcata leaf litter in unburned, burned, and burned and thinned plots in a mesic forest in northern Mississippi. Decomposition rates of Q. falcata leaf litter were also assessed at each plot. Soil phosphatase activity decreased after a prescribed burn and was related to an increase in soil organic matter in plots that had been burned. Soil β-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity increased after a burn, and was related to a decrease in leaf litter. Leaf litter enzyme activity showed no consistent patterns amongst treatments, or between individual enzymes, while decomposition rates of leaf litter were slightly accelerated in the treatment plots, but not significantly so. Decomposition rates were related to cumulative enzyme activity, with phenol oxidase and lignin-peroxidase having the highest apparent efficiencies in degrading the leaf material. Overall, the microbial degradation of Q. falcata leaf litter was more efficient in plots that were burned and thinned than in the other plots. Increases in the efficiency of litter decomposition coupled with reductions in litter inputs due to canopy thinning likely allows for increased solar penetration to the soil, and could promote the restoration of the shade-intolerant species that once dominated the understory. Post-burn increases in β-N-acetylglucosaminidase activity and decreases in phosphatase activity also suggest a potential shift in the soil community from phosphorus limitation to nitrogen limitation following a fire.     

Summer drought effects upon soil and litter extracellular phenol oxidase activity and soluble carbon release in an upland Calluna heathland

Extracellular phenol oxidases play an important role in the soil carbon cycle. The effects of a field-scale summer drought manipulation on extracellular litter and soil phenol oxidase activity, soluble phenolic compounds and dissolved organic carbon concentrations were examined for an upland Calluna heathland on a peaty podsol in North Wales. Litter and organic soil phenol oxidase activity was found to be positively correlated with moisture content. Thus in shallow organic soils, which are sensitive to drying during periods of low rainfall, drought may inhibit soil phenol oxidase activity as a result of water limitations. The release of soluble phenolic compounds and DOC from the droughted plots was found to be lowered during the drought period and elevated outside of the drought period. It is hypothesized that these changes may be a result of the reduced ability of extracellular phenol oxidases to process recalcitrant polyphenolic material under drought conditions. A drying incubation carried out with litter and soil cores from the same site suggests that extracellular phenol oxidase activity displays an optimal moisture level. This reconciled the observed water limitation of phenol oxidase activity at the heathland experimental site with previously observed stimulation of phenol oxidase activity by water table drawdown in deeper peats.     

Microbial function in adjacent subtropical forest and agricultural soil

Soil microbial communities and their activities are altered by land use change; however impacts and extent of these alterations are often unclear. We investigated the functional responses of soil microbes in agricultural soil under sugarcane and corresponding native soil under Eucalyptus forest to additions of contrasting plant litter derived from soybean, sugarcane and Eucalyptus in a microcosm system, using a suite of complimentary techniques including enzyme assays and community level physiological profiles (CLPP). Initially agricultural soil had 50% less microbial biomass and lower enzyme activities than forest soil, but significantly higher nitrification rates. In response to litter addition, microbial biomass increased up to 11-fold in agricultural soil, but only 1.8-fold in forest soil, suggesting a prevalence of rapidly proliferating ‘r’ and slower growing ‘K’ strategists in the respective soils. Litter-driven change in microbial biomass and activities were short lived, largely returning to pre-litter addition levels by day 150. Decomposition rates of sugarcane and soybean litter as estimated via CO₂ production were lower in agricultural than in forest soil, but decomposition of more recalcitrant Eucalyptus litter was similar in both soils, contradicting the notion that microbial communities specialise in decomposing litter of the dominant local plant species. Enzyme activities and community level physiological profiles (CLPP) were closely correlated to microbial biomass and overall CO₂ production in the agricultural soil but not the forest soil, suggesting contrasting relationships between microbial population dynamics and activity in the two soils. Activities of enzymes that break down complex biopolymers, such as protease, cellulase and phenol oxidase were similar or higher in the agricultural soil, which suggests that the production of extracellular biopolymer-degrading enzymes was not a factor limiting litter decomposition. Enzyme and CLPP analyses produced contrasting profiles of microbial activity in the two soils; however the combination of both analyses offers additional insights into the changes in microbial function and community dynamics that occur after conversion of forest to agricultural land.     

Microbial and non-biological decomposition of chlorophenols and phenol in soil

The aerobic and anaerobic degradation of phenol and selected chlorophenols was examined in a clay loam soil containing no added nutrients. A simple, efficient procedure based on the high solubility of these compounds in 95% ethanol was developed for extracting phenol and chlorophenol residues from soil. Analysis of soil extracts with UV spectrophotometry showed that phenol,o-chlorophenol,p-chlorophenol, 2,4-dichlorophenol, 2,6-dichlorophenol and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol were rapidly degraded, whilem-chlorophenol, 3,4-dichlorophenol, 2,4,5-trichlorophenol and pentachlorophenol were degraded very slowly by microorganisms in aerobically-incubated soil at 23°C. Both 3,4,5-trichlorophenol and 2,3,4,5-tetra chlorophenol appeared to be more resistant to degradation by aerobic soil microorganisms at 23°C. None of the compounds examined were degraded by microorganisms in anaerobically-incubated soil at 23°C. Direct microscopic observation revealed that phenol and selected chlorophenols stimulated aerobic and to a lesser extent, anaerobic microbial growth in soil, and aerobic soil bacteria were responsible for the degradation of 2,4-dichlorophenol in aerobically-incubated soil at 23°C. Phenol,o-chlorophenol,m-chlorophenol,p-chlorophenol and 2,4-dichlorophenol underwent rapid non-biological degradation in sterile silica sand. Non-biological decomposition contributed, perhaps substantially, to the removal of some chlorophenols from sterile aerobically-incubated soil and both sterile and non-sterile anaerobically-incubated soil.     

Leaf litter is the main driver for changes in bacterial community structures in the rhizosphere of ash and beech

The rhizosphere and the surrounding soil harbor an enormous microbial diversity and a specific community structure, generated by the interaction between plant roots and soil bacteria. The aim of this study was to address the influences of tree species, tree species diversity and leaf litter on soil bacterial diversity and community composition. Therefore, mesocosm experiments using beech, ash, lime, maple and hornbeam were established in 2006, and sampled in October 2008 and June 2009. Mesocosms were planted with one, three or five different tree species and treated with or without litter overlay.Cluster analysis of DGGE-derived patterns revealed a clustering of 2008 sampled litter treatments in two separated clusters. The corresponding treatments sampled in 2009 showed separation in one cluster. PCA analysis based on the relative abundance of active proteobacterial classes and other phyla in beech and ash single-tree species mesocosm indicated an effect of sampling time and leaf litter on active bacterial community composition. The abundance of next-generation sequencing-derived sequences assigned to the Betaproteobacteria was higher in the litter treatments, indicating a higher activity, under these conditions. The Deltaproteobacteria, Nitrospira and Gemmatimonadetes showed an opposite trend and were more active in the mesocosms without litter. The abundance of alphaproteobacterial sequences was higher in mesocosms sampled in 2009 (P = 0.014), whereas the Acidobacteria were more active in 2008 (P = 0.014). At the family level, we found significant differences of the litter vs. non-litter treated group. Additionally, an impact of beech and ash as tree species on soil bacterial diversity was confirmed by the Shannon and Simpson indices. Our results suggest that leaf litter decomposition in pH-stable soils affect the soil bacterial composition, while tree species influence the soil bacterial diversity.     

Extractant ph and the release of phenolic compounds from soils,plant roots and leaf litter

The influence of pH was examined, over the range from 6 to 14, on the amounts of p-hydroxybenzoic, vanillic, p-coumaric, ferulic and syringic acids, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde and vanillin, extracted from four soils and associated roots or leaf litter. Adjustment of pH was obtained by the addition of graded amounts of Ca(OH)₂ to water or by 2 m NaOH. The roots associated with three of the soils were from permanent pasture, perennial ryegrass and red clover, while the leaf litter associated with the fourth soil was from beech.The amounts of each phenolic compound extracted increased continuously with increasing pH, from a “threshold” value which varied between pH 7.5 and 10.5. The amounts extracted by water alone from the soil under permanent pasture, at pH 5.8, were equivalent to concentrations in the soil solution ranging from 1.4 μm for p-hydroxybenzoic acid to < 10 nm for ferulie acid. Amounts of up to 2000 times greater than these were extracted by 2 m NaOH. Similar effects of extractant pH were found with the other soils.Comparisons of the amounts of the phenolic compounds extracted from the soils, with the amounts extracted from the associated roots or leaf litter, suggested that substantial proportions of the soil phenolic compounds were either derived from organic residues more than 4 yr old or were the result of microbial synthesis.     

Control of pitch pine seed germination and initial growth exerted by leaf litters and polyphenolic compounds

We investigated the influence of three concentrations of water extracts of three leaf litter species (pitch pine, huckleberry and white oak) and a mixture of all litters on the germination of pitch pine seeds and initial seedling growth in a microcosm experiment. All three plant species are important components of the pine barrens ecosystems in New Jersey, where it has been seen that pine seedling recruitment occurs only after stand replacing fire or in disturbed sites, where surface organic soil horizons and leaf litter have been removed. Leaf litter extracts did not influence seed germination, but significantly reduced seedling growth at high concentrations. There was little difference between the leaf litter species in growth suppression. As charcoal is a natural residue on the forest floor following fire, its influence on growth suppression was examined; it has been shown to immobilize polyphenols. Charcoal removed the inhibitory effect of leaf litter extracts and allowed the fertilizer effect of nutrients leached from the leaves to enhance seedling growth, particularly at the higher concentration of litter extract used. Responses to litter extracts were compared to four pure phenolic compounds, catchecol, p-coumaric acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid and tannic acid. None of these compounds suppressed pine seedling growth, suggesting that these phenolics are not allelopathic to pine seedlings. The results are discussed in the context of fire as a driving factor in these oligotrophic and seasonally dry ecosystems and the interactions between nutrient supply and allelopathic chemistry of different leaf litters.     

Bacterial dynamics during decomposition of alder litter

Different groups of aerobic and anaerobic bacteria were enumerated in decomposing alder litter (Alnus glutinosa) and the underlying soil. Unspecific media with soil extract were used for total counts and media with single carbon compounds or different nitrogen compounds for specific functional groups.The numbers of aerobic, amylolytic and proteolytic bacteria were high after litter fall and decreased towards the end of decomposition. The fluctuations in the anaerobic groups of organisms were mainly influenced by moisture. The numbers of denitrifiers in the soil were highest during decomposition of litter in the winter, while the numbers of ammonifiers in litter were always high.     

Seasonal variation in carbon isotopic composition of bog plant litter during 3 years of field decomposition

In this study, we describe the seasonal variation in ¹³C abundance in the litter of two Sphagnum species and four vascular plant species during 3 years of field decomposition in an Italian alpine bog. Litter bags were periodically retrieved at the end of summer and winter periods, and the δ¹³C in residual litter was related to mass loss, litter chemistry, and climatic conditions. In Sphagnum litter, higher rates of decomposition during summer months were associated with an increase of δ¹³C probably due to the incorporation of microbial organic compounds rich in ¹³C in the residual litter. In the litter of Eriophorum vaginatum, Carex rostrata and Calluna vulgaris, we observed a decrease of δ¹³C with an increase in the concentration of lignin-like compounds. The residual litter of Potentilla erecta showed a decrease of ¹³C abundance during the first 2 years, but on proceeding the decomposition, the δ¹³C increased again probably reflecting the incorporation of microbial organic compounds.     

Soil sickness of peanuts is attributable to modifications in soil microbes induced by peanut root exudates rather than to direct allelopathy

The quantity and quality of peanut yields are seriously compromised by consecutive monoculture in the subtropical regions of China. Root exudates, which represent a growth regulator in peanut–soil feedback processes, play a principal role in soil sickness. The growth inhibition of a species in an in vitro bioassay enriched with root exudates and allelochemicals is commonly viewed as evidence of an allelopathic interaction. However, for some of these putative examples of allelopathy, the results have not been verified in more natural settings with plants continuously growing in soil. In this study, the phenolic acids in peanut root exudates, their retention characteristics in an Udic Ferrosol, and their effects on rhizosphere soil microbial communities and peanut seedling growth were studied. Phenolic acids from peanut root exudates were quickly metabolized by soil microorganisms and did not accumulate to high levels. The peanut root exudates selectively inhibited or stimulated certain communal bacterial and fungal species, with decreases in the relative abundance of the bacterial taxa Gelria glutamica, Mitsuaria chitosanitabida, and Burkholderia soli and the fungal taxa Mortierella sp. and Geminibasidium hirsutum and increases in the relative abundance of the bacterial taxon Desulfotomaculum ruminis and the fungal taxa Fusarium oxysporum, Bionectria ochroleuca and Phoma macrostoma. The experimental application of phenolic acids to non-sterile and sterile soil revealed that the poor performance of the peanut plants was attributed to changes in the soil microbial communities promoted by phenolic acids. These results suggest that pathogenic fungal accumulation at the expense of such beneficial microorganisms as plant growth promoting rhizobacteria, mycorrhizal fungi induced by root exudates, rather than direct autotoxicity induced by root exudates, might represent the principal cause underlying the soil sickness associated with peanut plants. We hope that our study will motivate researchers to integrate the role of soil microbial communities in allelopathic research, such that their observed significance in soil sickness during continuous monocropping of fields can be further explored.     

Changes in eucalypt litter quality during the first three months of field decomposition in a Congolese plantation

In fast-growing tree plantations, decomposition of leaf litter is considered as a key process of soil fertility. A three-month field experiment, spanning both rainy and dry seasons, was conducted to determine how changes in litter decomposition affect the main parameters of litter quality—namely, the concentrations of phenolic and non-phenolic carbon (C) compounds, nitrogen (N), and fibres, and the litter C mineralization rate. This study was conducted to test (1) if these changes vary according to the compound and to the season, and if they are greater for soluble compounds, and (2) if after a three-month period of field decomposition, the chemical composition of the remaining litter drives C mineralization, as measured in laboratory conditions, through a greater influence on the concentration of N and lignin. We found that the concentrations of water- and methanol-soluble phenolic compounds and the concentrations of non-phenolic compounds decreased during decomposition in all plots and in each season, while the fibre and N concentrations increased. The relationships among litter decomposition, C mineralization, and litter quality depended on the season, which strongly suggests that different processes are involved in dry and rainy seasons. The C mineralization rates were driven by soluble organic compounds in the initial litter and by soluble phenolic compounds in the decomposed litter.     

The bacterial community inhabiting temperate deciduous forests is vertically stratified and undergoes seasonal dynamics

Bacterial communities living in forest soils contribute to the decomposition of organic matter and the recycling of nutrients in these ecosystems and form one of the most diverse habitats on Earth. Unfortunately, due to difficulty in culturing soil bacteria, the understanding of their ecology is still limited. In the case of temperate deciduous forests, soil microbial communities face large seasonal variations in environmental conditions, such as temperature or moisture. Moreover, the supply of nutrients also differs due to seasonal processes, such as the allocation of photosynthates into soil by the roots of primary producers or the seasonal input of fresh litter. The aim of this study was to reveal how the bacterial community responds to these seasonal processes in the litter and soil of a Quercus petraea forest. Bacterial communities from litter and from the organic and mineral horizons of soil were analyzed during the four seasons of the year by 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing. The results revealed that the composition of the bacterial community is horizon specific. The litter horizon had a higher relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes than soil, while the organic and mineral horizons had a higher abundance of Acidobacteria, Firmicutes and Actinobacteria than litter. Moreover, the bacterial community was significantly affected by seasonality in all horizons. Bacterial communities in the litter showed significant differences between the vegetation season (May and July) and the autumn and winter seasons (October, February). In mineral soil, bacterial community composition was specific in the summer, when it was significantly different from all other seasons, with a larger number of taxa described as rhizosphere and mycorrhizosphere inhabitants. The results indicate that litter decomposition is the main driver of bacterial community composition in litter horizon. In contrast to reports on fungal communities, bacterial community composition in mineral soil responds to the seasonal peaks of rhizodeposition in the summer.     

The oribatid mite Scheloribates moestus (Acari: Oribatida) alters litter chemistry and nutrient cycling during decomposition

It is widely accepted that microarthropods influence decomposition dynamics but we know relatively little about their effects on litter chemistry, extracellular enzyme activities, and other finer-scale decomposition processes. Further, few studies have investigated the role of individual microarthropod species in litter decomposition. The oribatid mite Scheloribates moestus Banks (Acari: Oribatida) is abundant in many U.S. ecosystems. We examined the potential effects of S. moestus on litter decomposition dynamics and chemical transformations, and whether these effects are influenced by variation in initial litter quality. We collected corn and oak litter from habitats with large populations of S. moestus and in microcosms with and without mites measured respiration rates, nitrogen availability, enzyme activities, and molecular-scale changes in litter chemistry. Mites stimulated extracellular enzyme activities, enhanced microbial respiration rates by 19% in corn litter and 17% in oak litter over 62 days, and increased water-extractable organic C and N. Mites decreased the relative abundance of polysaccharides in decomposing corn litter but had no effect on oak litter chemistry, suggesting that the effects of S. moestus on litter chemistry are constrained by initial litter quality. We also compared the chemistry of mite feces to unprocessed corn litter and found that feces had a higher relative abundance of polysaccharides and phenols and a lower relative abundance of lignin. Our study establishes that S. moestus substantially changes litter chemistry during decomposition, but specific effects vary with initial litter quality. These chemical transformations, coupled with other observed changes in decomposition rates and nutrient cycling, indicate that S. moestus could play a key role in soil C cycling dynamics.